Tension device.



A. BEUTLER.

TENSION DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 19, 1915.

Patented June 27, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1. 49 46 .50 j

A. BEUTLEB.

TENSION DEVICE.

I APPLICATION FILED MAY 19, I915. Patented v 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- -"an.snares Parana oFFKQEO ALBERT BEUTLER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TOBELDEN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OFILLINOIS.

TENSION DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 19, 1915. Serial No. 29,057.

are, to provide a tension device which can be successfully used toregulate the tension of extremely fine wires or filaments; to provlde adevice of the class described which, while being capable of use inconnection with extremely fine wires or filaments, may, nevertheless, beemployed to pay off relatively coarse, heavy wires; to provide a tensiondevice of the class described in which danger of breaking the wire orfilament by a sudden pull or .jerk is substantially eliminated; toprovide a tension device of the class described which will arrest therotation of the spool or bobbin holding the wire supply practically asinstantaneously as is desired whenever the pull on the wire is arrested;

to provide a construction which occupies a comparatively small amount offloor or' table space; to provide a construction which 1s automatic inoperation, comparatively simple toadjust, maintain and keep in repair;to provide a, construction Wl'llCh shall be simple and economical inmanufacture; and, in general, to provide an improved tension device ofthe character referred to.

In describing my invention, I find 1t convenient to refer to thedrawings accompanyingthis application, which illustrate one of thepreferred embodimentsof my invent on.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a side View of a wire-tension deviceconstructed according to my invention and illustrated as employed inconnection with an automatic electrical coil-winding machine; Fig. 2.isan end view of Fig. 1; Fig; 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Fig.2; Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentaryview of a portion of Fig. 2; andFig. 5 is a detail view of the chuck or spindle. 4

In Fig. 1, 10 represents as a whole an automatic machine for windingelectrical coils, its'supply of wire being obtained from a wire-supplyspool 11 mounted on my improved wire-tension device, which is locatedslightly to'the rear of said machine 10 and is supported upon the sametable or bench 12.

The device is entirely self-contained and is supported by or mounted ina cast-iron frame 13, the lower part of which comprises a base 14, flaton its lower side to facilitate attachment by bolts, or otherwise, tothe table 12, or other support upon which it is carried. The upper partof the casting 13 is extended and enlarged to constitute a hollowsubstantially rectangular skeleton, the opening of which is of asufficient size to admit the largest spool which the machine is deslgnedto accommodate. In the center of the vertical sides 15 and 16 of thesaid rectangular extension, I secure a fixed center 17 and an adjustablecenter 18. The latter is threaded into the side 16 and is formed with anouter milled head 19 and a lock nut 20. The chuck or spindle 21, whichis carried by and rotates upon the centers 17 and 18, is of suitablediameter at its ends 22 and 23 to enter freely the central hole in thespool 11. The end of the portion 22 is threaded, as shown at 24, toaccommodate a clamping nut 25 which forces the free end of the spoolagainstthe outer face 26 of a cylindrical enlargement 27 keyed, orotherwise suitablysecured, upon the end of the spindle. The width offace of the enlargement 27 is sulfioient to constitute a brakingsurface, and is turned off truly and concentrically with the spindle 21so that the spool will rotate evenly and uniformly. The vertical side 15of the rectangular skeleton is extended on each side so as to provide anintegral arm 28 and a lug 29.. Upon the end of the arm 28 I pivot at '30a normally substantially horizontal lever 31, and upon the lug 29 Ipivot at 32 and 33 upper and lower brake-arms 34 and 35. The said arms34 and 35 are arcuate in shape adjacent their pivots, and are shed withpairs of leather segments 36, the inner opposed surfaces of which arecurved to engage a substantially similar portion of the brake-drum 27 onthe spindle, previously referred to. The free end of the brake-arm 34carries a pivot 37 which is connected to a pivot 38 on the outer limb ofthe lever 31 by means of a link 39. The brake-arm 35 carries a similarpivot 40 which is connected to a pivot 41 on the end of the inner limbof the lever 31 by means of a link 42.

amply suflicient to arrest the rotation of the spindle in a very smallfraction of a second when the wire stops feeding.

The, braking means just described is applied by means of a coil tensionspring 43,

.the upper end of which is connected to a hole 44in the outer free endof the brakelever 31, the lower end of the spring being secured to ahook 45 screwed-into the top of the base 14. I prefer to use a spring inplace of a weight in order to avoid inertia effects; and for varying thestrength of the spring 43, I find it convenient to change ,its leverageby hooking the upper loop of the spring into any one of a series ofnotches 46 cut in the upper edge of the brake-lever 31. I

In the top limb of the upper rectangular extension of the casting 13, Imount a pair of spaced-apart parallel vertical rods 47 which extendupwardly a considerable distance, their tops being connected by abridge-piece 48. The br1dge-plate48 is formed with a rear extension 49inwhich is s'wiveled a depending pulley-frame 50 carrying a sheave 51. Thediameter of the sheave is such that the center groove fallssubstantially within the plane of the axes of the'two rods 47.Suspended-from the sheave 51 by means of a flexible cord 52 is acarriage 53, comprising a'pair of horivzontal plates 54 and 55 aperturedto ride loosely upon the rods 47, and connected by a pair of smallvertical rods 56. The rear end of the cord 52 is connected to the outerend 44 of the brake-lever 31 by means of a flexible coil spring 57 sothat the carriage 53. may descend or ascend along the track-rods 47 aconsiderable distance in" either direction, while still maintaining thecord 52 taut. To the lower plate 55 of the carriage is secured a smalldepending bracket 58 on which is pivoted a sheave 59 over which passesthe wire or filament 60 from off the supply spool 11. I

The. operation of thedevice is manifest in view of the. abovedescription. Assuming that the winding machine 10 has been idle and-issuddenly started, the wire 60, as it is fed into the machine, will pulldown the carriage 53 b means of the sheave 59,

and the spring 5 will be extended by the cord 52 passing over the sheave51 until the pull is suflicient to raise the end of the brake-lever 31and separatethe brake-arms 34 and 35, thus allowing the'spindle to ro-'tate and the Wire tobe paid off. It-is important to note that thepresence of thespring 57 in conjunction with the comparativelyinsignificant weight of the carriage 53, makes it unnecessary for thewire 60 to, impart rota'ry movement 'to the comparatively heavy supplyspool 11 the instant that the winding machine commences to pull theWire. Whenever the wire stops feeding, the carriage rises until the pullon the cord 52 is reduced sufficiently to permit the spring 43 to drawdown the brake-lever and arrest the further rotation of the spool.

The spring 57 elevates the carriage 53 and takes up any slack of thewire 60 whenever the winding machine stops suddenly, before the brake 31has a chance to come into operation and arrest the movement of thespindle. The brakelever 31 being, as it were, resiliently float edbetweenthe two springs 43 and 57, is caused to operate very flexibly andsmoothly without suddenjars or jerks, which might have a tendency tobreak or kink thewire, or cause it to jump the pulleys.

The construction details shown and -described may be varied considerablywithout departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of whichis not limited, except as specified in the appended claims.

I claim 1. In a w1re=tens1on device, the combination of a supportingframe, a spindle jour- -one of its ends pivoted on said-frame andadapted, intermediate its length, to engage the periphery of saidenlargement, an articulated link .operatively connecting the other endof said brake-arm with said brake-lever, a substantially verticaltrackguide mounted oversaid spindle; a carriage adapted to slide up anddown on said guide,-

a stationary sheave mounted over said car; riage, a cord passlng oversaid sheave and connecting said carriage with the brakelever, meansautomatically tending to operate said brake-lever to apply the brake,and

a wire-guide mounted on said carriage.

2. In awire-tension device, the combina tion of a supporting frame, aspindle journaled in said frame, said spindle being; pro vided withchucking means for a wire-sup,- ply spool and having an enlargement pro--.vided with a peripheral braking surface, a

lever having its inner end pivoted on said and brake-lever, meansautomatically tending to operate said brake-lever to apply the brake,and a wire-guide sheave mounted on said carriage.

3. In a wire-tension device, the combination of a supporting frame, aspindle journaled in said frame, said spindle being provided withchucking means for a wiresupply spool and having an enlargement providedwith a peripheral braking surface, a lever having its inner end pivotedon said frame and adapted to swing in a substantially vertical plane, apair of opposed brake-arms each having one of its ends piv-- oted on'said frame and adapted intermediate its length to engage the peripheryof said enlargement, links connecting the other ends of said arms withpoints on said lever on either side of the lever pivot, a substantiallyvertical track-guide mounted over said spindle, a carriage adapted toslide up and down on said guide. a stationary sheave mounted over saidcarriage, a cord passing over said sheave and connecting said carriagewith the brake-lever, means auto math-ally tending to operate saidbrakelever to apply the brake, and a wire-guide sheave mounted on saidcarriage.

4. In a wire-tension device, the combination of a supporting frame, aspindle journaled in said frame, said spindle being provided withchucking means for a wire-supply spool and having an enlargementprovided with a peripheral braking surface, a lever having its inner endpivoted on said frame and adapted to swing in a substantially verticalplane, a pair of opposed ln-alw-arms each having one of its ends pivotedon said frame and adapted intermediate its length to engage theperiphery of said enlargement, links connecting the other ends of saidarms with pivots on said lever on either side of the lever pivot, asubstantially vertical track-guide mounted over said spindle, a carriageadapted to slide up and down on said guide, a stationary sheave mountedover sald carriage, a cord passing over said sheave and connecting saidcarriage with said brake-lever, a spring interposed between said cordand brake lever, means automatically tending to operate said brake leverto apply the brake, and a wire-.

guide sheave mounted on said carriage.

5. In a wire-tension device, the combina: tion of means for rotatablysupporting a wire-supply spool, a brake for said spool, means constantlytending to apply said brake, a track, a carriage on said track, aguide-member on said carriage over which the wire from said supply spoolis delivered whereby the pull of the wire tends to move the carriage,and a spring permanently connected between said carriage and said brakeadapted to release the brake upon movement of the carriage by a pull ofthe wire passing over the guide member, said carriage being' movable onsaid track between limits controlled by the extension and contraction ofsaid spring.

6. In a wire-tension device, the combination of means for rotatablysupporting a wire-supply spool, a brake for said spool, means constantlytending to apply said brake, a vertical track, a carriage slidable upand down on said track, a guide memher on said carriage over which thewire from said supply spool is delivered whereby the pull of the wiretends to lower the carriage, a connection between said carriage and saidbrake adapted to release the b 'ake upon movement of the-carriage by apull of the wire passing over the guide member, and a spring supportingsaid carriage and permanently interposed between said connection and thebrake. I

7. In a wire-tension device, the combination of a supporting frame, aspindle journaled in said frame rotatably supporting a wire-supplyspool, brakemechanism for said spindle, a brake lever, means connet-tedto said brakeelever constantly tending to apply the brake, a verticaltrack, a carriage slidable on saidtrack, a guidesheave on said carriageover said spool over which the wire from said spool is conducted anddelivered whereby the pull of the wire tends to lower the carriage onsaid track, a stationary sheave mounted over saidcarriage, a cordpassing over said stationary sheave and connecting said brake lever andsaid carriage whereby a downward movement of said carriage tends torelease said brake, and a spring interposed in said cord between saidcarriage and stationary sheave.

ALBERT BEUTLER. \Vitnesses:

( A. So.\Ns, M. M. LErPo.

